A Moment with Snape's Portrait
by CaelynAilene
Summary: Harry fought to get Snape's portrait hung in the Head's office but first he wants a word or two with the man Oneshot


**A/N according to the great JKR Harry had to fight to get Snape's portrait hung in the Head's office at Hogwarts. I began wondering not long ago if Harry had the chance to talk to Snape before it was hung what would he say. This might seem drabblish but it's what came out as I let the ideas flow, fair warning I butchered a line from Shakeshpeare sorry**

Harry followed the Headmistress down the hallway until she stopped at an empty classroom.

"Right in there Potter. It hasn't been unwrapped yet as you requested. Let me know when you're done and I'll send Filch to bring it up for installation."

"Thanks Professor."

She put a hand on his shoulder for a moment before walking away.

Harry stood in the doorway staring at the brown paper shrouded parcel propped up in a chair. He wasn't really sure he was ready for this but it was past time for the man to be given the recognition he deserved so he entered the room closing the for behind him. He went directly to the package and began to carefully remove it's covering. He dropped the paper on the floor looking at the man in the portrait in front of him. Neither of them spoke. Harry backed up a few steps and sat still saying nothing.

Finally the man in the portrait spoke, "I understand I have you to thank for being taken out of storage Mr. Potter."

Harry simply nodded.

"And now you've come to stare and gloat I suppose."

"No matter what you may think, what you may have ever thought, I am not my father."

"And yet you so often acted just like he did?"

"By that I hope you mean rashly and impulsively rather than bullying because if that's the case I believe you have me confused with Malfoy or yourself."

The man in the portrait flinched, "I a bully?"

"You have to ask? You bullied me from the day I stepped into your classroom and I'm not the only one. Neville and Hermione also suffered the slings and arrows of your misfortune."

"I treated you all no differently than any other student."

"Oh really?"

"I treated Mr. Longbottom as I would any other bumbling idiot, Miss Granger as I would any insufferable know-it-all, and you as I would any other strutting arrogant child who thought he could slide through my class based on who he was."

"Again I say oh really? You never treated Crabbe or Goyle as you did Neville and they were at least as bad at potions as he was if not worse. Seamus regularly exploded his potions and you still didn't treat him as poorly as Nev. Malfoy is just as bright as Hermione, the only difference between them was she volunteered to answer your questions while he waited for you to call on him. I don't recall every strutting and it was hardly possible on my first days here that I was arrogant because of who I was, I barely knew who I was at that point. I was raised by magic hating muggle who barely let me out of my cupboard enough to know anything about the Muggle world much less the magical world. No I think your issues with each of us stem from your love for my mother."

"Potter don't be ridiculous."

"No I've given this quite a bit of thought. Hermione reminds you of my mother in that she is the brightest witch of her age and she is a Muggleborn, the reminder hurts and so you lash out. Neville could have just as easily been the Chosen One and if Voldemort had gone after him my mother would still be alive however you can't possibly take it out on the man who made the choice so instead you take it out on an innocent child. I look like my father who was a right git to you from the moment you met on the train. Why he was so awful to you when he wasn't to others I can't explain and obviously have no way of asking. How my mother ever feel for him after the way he treated you her best friend again I can't explain." At this point Harry stood up and began pacing back and forth behind the chair he had been sitting in. I'm sorry that my father was so mean to you, no child should have to suffer that or put up with that kind of behavior from another but you taking out your hatred of my father on me simply because I look like the man is so much worse. You're grieving I get that, you knew my mother and I never really did, you could have reached out to me, her child and shared with me the good memories you had of her. Instead of concentrating on finding any similarity you could between my father and I you could have instead looked for similarities between my mother and I. You chose to behave as a wounded child rather than an intelligent, thinking, caring adult. How do you think my mother would feel if she could see the way you have treated her only child? I imagine she'd react much the same as she did when you called her a Mudblood. Yes you owe me for the fact that you won't be spending eternity wrapped up and stuck away in some dusty dingy moldy storage space, you will take your place on the wall in the Head's office because it is the right thing to do, because I am NOT my father. I am not vindictive and wanting you to suffer for what you did to me. Rather I want to recognize all you did trying to save my mother, putting yourself at incredible personal risk by being a double agent, doing everything you could to protect the students here from the Carrows while maintaining your Death Eater facade, for helping me complete my mission with the Horcruxes, for doing the hardest thing a person could do and follow through on your promise to kill Dumbledore, for trying to protect Malfoy from himself, for loving my mother and helping her make the transition from muggle to witch, for attempting to save Ron, Hermione, and I from Sirius and Remus even though we were in no real danger, for watching over me at the Quidditch match first year, for...I don't even know. Just because it's the right thing to do!" Harry shouted then stood breathing heavily and staring at the portrait.

Snape's eyes were wide, he sat in his painting gobsmacked.

They stared at each other a moment longer before Harry turned and walked to the door, "I'm done here. You'll be installed shortly."

His hand was on the door handle when Snape called out, "Potter!"

"What?"

Snape's voice softened just a bit, "Harry."

Harry turned just enough to peer over his shoulder.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."


End file.
